__________________Pete BauerThe most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. Albert EinsteinTrying to solve a DV mystery? You may find the answer behind the SEARCH function ... or be able to join a discussion already in progress!

Judging by the cost of the new XLH1 camera, I wonder if Canon will up the anti in terms of cost on the manual HD lenses they are almost bound to introduce soon. Does this then open the door to some judicial adaptation of existing lenses that they produce for other manufacturers, namely JVC and Sony.

Is it just my perception, but I can't take Canon seriously as a professional movie cam supplier, they always seem to be looking over their shoulder at their mass consumer market place. It seems that they don't plan a range of product just for the professional - take the XLH1 for example. It is obviously an adaptation, (however clever) of the existing XL series cameras which were pitched at the mass market of 'prosumers' (dreadful word), but now with a professional price tag. I would have been first in the que for the HDV camera if it had not been marketed with the 20x servo lens and a black paint job. I don't see the equivalent difference in their still camera marketplace, there you genuinely do get a lot more for your dough with Canon's professional products.

I don't see the equivalent difference in their still camera marketplace, there you genuinely do get a lot more for your dough with Canon's professional products.

I don't agree here. The imaging-pipeline of a EOS-350D and a EOS-1DMkIIn are nearly identical, but the difference in price is significant! I think we live in an age, where digital imaging equipment is inherently of high quality. The days of noisy/low-sensitivity sensors and crummy lenses are over, and you pay a lot more for a few (but admittedly important) features as you climb up the ladder from consumer to professional gear. A sign of the times, I guess - but it makes high-quality gear accessible to almost everyone, and that's a good thing, IMO.

But back to decks: I decided to go the HDR-HC1-route. This way I have a backup-cam that's up to the task for event-videography. It works fine with 1080i50 and should also work with f25, although I have not tried yet. It also does in-camera HDV-to-DV down-conversion. Lots of bang for the buck, IMO. And if it's purely used as a deck, the HDR-HC3 is even less expensive.

When the xl-1 came out it was a pretty big deal with professionals who wanted beta type quality in a small package. Since then they have fallen behind the game a little I think.

If they do get some professional devices working with 24f it will be pretty big deal since sony couldn't make it work. They have a chance to prove themselves. I actually like the black look. The white looked pretty consumer to me, stands out too much.

IMHO, the camera looks like the mut's nuts. It's sleek black finish gives it that extra bit style, which seperates it from the XL1/XL2. It has some nice features like HD SDI, and is reasonably priced.

However, the lack of a deck which plays back 24/25f at the moment is a bit of a poor show. You can use the Wafrian recorder, but not everyone has that sort of cash, and it does make things a bit more tricky.

I've still to purchase my XL-H1, but will be doing so in the next 2-3 month no matter what. However, if there was also a deck available, I'm sure I'd find the cash quick smart.